UHF Radio Frequencies

UHF frequencies between 470MHz and 790MHz are currently used by Digital TV transmitters across the UK. Depending on location and subject to a Wireless Telegraphy Act licence, available from PMSE ( http://www.pmse.co.uk/ ), frequencies in this range may also be used on a co-ordinated, strictly site specific, basis in the UK for radio microphones and In Ear Monitors. The availability of specific UHF frequency bands has altered since 2012 as Digital TV has replaced Analogue TV, and may change again in the future.

In the UK the '800MHz Band', actually the range between 790MHz to 862MHz, has been cleared of all current users, including analogue and digital TV broadcasting and 'PMSE' users, i.e. Radio Microphones and IEM's. This '800MHz Band' has been auctioned off by Ofcom and to be used to provide Mobile Broadband services. A number of other European countries have also cleared the same frequency bands for the same purpose.

TV Channel Numbers

The UHF TV Channel Numbers used on this page refer to UK and European systems. The TV Channel Numbering system in the USA and Canada is different! The channel numbers used on this page DO NOT apply to the USA and Canada.

Since radio microphones generally have a bandwidth of 200kHz the lowest frequency which can be used without the transmission spilling over the lower edge of the permitted band is 863.100MHz and the highest frequency which can be used without the transmission spilling over the upper edge of the band is 864.900MHz. Any frequency between these two limits may be used. When using multiple radio microphones in this small band careful choice of spot frequencies is necessary, for best results the precise choice of spot frequencies depends on the make and model of radio microphone. In practice no more than four radio microphones are likely to operate together without mutual interference to each other in this small band.

From:

863.100MHz

Deregulated

up to

864.900MHz

Deregulated

Strictly speaking there is no such thing as "Channel 70", the UHF television spectrum to which the channel numbers refer runs from 470MHz to 862MHz, the 8MHz wide channels being numbered from 21 - 69. Therefore if channel 70 did exist it would run from 862 - 870MHz. The remainder of "Channel 70" from 862 - 863MHz and from 865 to 870MHz is currently allocated to other types of radio services and radio microphones are not permitted.

Channel 69 UHF Radio Frequencies

Channel 69 (854 - 862MHz) was replaced by Channel 38 (see below) at the end of 2012. It is no longer possible or legal to operate radio microphones on Channel 69 in the UK.

The spectrum was included in "digital dividend" spectrum auctions and is now used for 4G mobile broadband services.

Channel 38

As of 2012, the UK UHF frequencies from 606.500 - 613.500 MHz (Channel 38) are available for shared radio microphone use. Shared means that a license is required to use these frequencies, but once a license is obtained the Licensee (and anyone hiring equipment from them) can use these frequencies anywhere in the UK. However, other users may be using the same frequencies in your area, so there is no protection from interference.

Channel 38 offers more frequencies (up to 12 channels) than Channel 70, and fewer users, so the risk of conflicts is lower.

Channel 65

As of March 2015 the UK UHF frequencies 823 - 832 MHz (Channel 65 and part of Channel 66) are also included in the 'Channel 38' shared license. There should be room for at least as many frequencies as in Channel 38, but not all current units can tune over all of this range.

Note that although this band requires a license in the UK, it is completely deregulated in some European countries (including Germany).